1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a foot actuated device for starting an engine and stabilizing the engine and machine incorporating such engine during the process of starting.
2. Description of Prior Art
Internal combustion engines are commonly used upon various types of portable or wheeled machines such as lawn mowers, snow blowers, garden tillers, cement mixers, generators, air compressors, etc.
Manual starting is commonly accomplished by the operator pulling a handle attached to a rope which under force withdraws a length of the rope from the starting mechanism which starts the engine. Such starting action commonly requires the operator to bend and reach for the starting handle and then withdraw the rope with a jerking motion which involves impact upon the handle gripping hand and wrist, excess rotation of the upper arm and shoulder socket with a twisting of the torso. The degree of force and range of motion thus required is beyond the capabilities of some persons, which are otherwise capable operators, particularly persons of slight build and/or strength and/or victims of muscle or joint disease or discomfort.
The pulling of such starting rope causes a force upon the engine and/or machine equal to the force applied by the operator to the rope handle. Where such force is not sufficiently resisted by the nature of construction of the machine, a motion or combination of motions of rolling, sliding, twisting and tipping of the machine will result in the general direction toward the operator as is commonly the case.
Machines of this nature generally involve dangerous moving parts and are intended for safe operation only when the operator is in an upright position, located a safe distance from the dangerous moving parts, in control of the machine and with access to the performance and safety controls of the machine which is often not the case during the starting action.
The foot actuated bracket as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,538 provides a post which contacts ground to resist downward foot force, but the embodiments do not include stabilization of the machine in the horizontal direction and such post is it's self subject to instability in such case as the post is not positioned exactly vertically or the foot force is not applied directly along the axis of the post; and in addition, the operator must be located in an awkward position for activation. The embodiment also requires the operator to use two hands in the operation of stowing the device after the engine is started which is not possible when applied to the mowers of modern construction which require one hand grasping the handle and fail safe engine stopping device at all times when the engine is running.
A later disclosure by U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,274 embodies a foot actuated starting lever attached to a lawn mower. The lever is attached directly to the body of the lawn mower which requires either the operator be positioned immediately adjacent to the lawn mower body with the handle and controls out of position (both of which are unsafe) or the lever extremity for foot engagement be extended to the-safe operating position. In either case the machine is unstable due to the downward foot force necessarily applied for starting overcoming the gravity forces acting on the machine and causing a rotation of the machine about a fulcrum point located at the machine's point of contact with ground nearest the operator, i.e., down force on the lever forces the machine to rotate and lift from the ground exposing the dangerous cutting blade. Horizontal stabilization of the machine is not embodied.
A lawn mower starting device as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,693 embodies an immobile, stationary device which requires electrical power for actuation.